Job search

By Greg Tepper // TexasFootball.com

The University of Texas football program has been called a lot of things. Some flattering; others less so. But it's never been accused of being boring.

After a dissapointing 2010 campaign and a near total reshuffling of the coaching staff highlighted by the departure of longtime offensive coordinator Greg Davis, the responsibilities of putting together an offense falls to co-offensive coordinators Bryan Harsin and Major Applewhite.

And make no mistake: they can change whatever they want. That includes the quarterback.

Nearly everyone in the Texas program has made it known that the starting quarterback job for 2011 is an open competition despite the fact that 2010 starter Garrett Gilbert will be returning for his junior season.

Harsin spoke with the media last week, offering some insight on the current quarterback situation. There's a whole lot of interesting insights there, so I encourage you to read the entire thing, but here is the main take-away for me:

"There are four things that we talked about, and this is just quarterback play in general. One is toughness. Two is preparation. Number three is decision-making, and four is accuracy. And so we have been really trying to talk about those preparation habits. We've been talking about the decision-making process while we are out there on the field, and then we have been working on the fundamentals to try to get better with our accuracy. The toughness part will come when you get into the scrimmages, when you get into those game situations where those guys will stay in the pocket and move around, or they will throw the ball away when they are supposed to and that is the only play. Those are some of the things we've been looking at. Those are the qualities we've talked about, and those are the qualities we will continue to talk about."

So that's what Harsin and Applewhite are looking for: toughness, preparation, decision-making and accuracy. That's what the four candidates for the job -- Gilbert, sophomore Case McCoy, redshirt freshman Connor Wood and true freshman David Ash -- are going to have to exhibit.

And since the world doesn't have enough needless speculation, let's provide some needless speculation and handicap the Texas quarterback race.

CASE MCCOY

Give McCoy credit: he's certainly winning the name recognition and nostalgia votes. McCoy, the younger brother of Texas' record-setting signal-caller Colt McCoy, is a 6-2, 200-pound dual-threat whom we rated as the fourth-best QB in the state back in 2009-10. since leading Graham to a 14-2 record and a state runner-up finish in 2009 (4,276 yards and 46 TDs passing), McCoy has spent most of his time on the sidelines in Austin. He did log some garbage time appearances against Rice and Florida Atlantic, but -- and this might sound like blasphemy to Horns fans -- I'd put him fourth in the pecking order. It's always a dicey proposition to bet against the McCoy family, but the fact that a talent like Case McCoy would be fourth out of four in anything speaks to the quality of this unit. Odds of winning starting job: 12-1.

DAVID ASH

Ah, David Ash. The name has been on the tips of the tongues of Longhorns fans since he signed back in February. And to be fair: David Ash is exceptionally gifted. Coming out of Belton, he's 6-4 and 200 pounds of football player. We rated him as the fifth-best QB in the state, and he was named the Old Spice Player of the Year last year. He was a first team All-State selection by the AP after leading Belton (a team with one of the worst defenses in the state statistically) to a 5-5 record and a first-round playoff exit. I really like David Ash, but can we pump the brakes here a little bit? This is a true freshman we're talking about, and with all due respect to their new coach David Raffield, A&M Consolidated is not Texas A&M. There is a huge leap from high schools to the pros, and while I am really excited to see what Ash can do in the burnt orange, I don't think it happens this year. Odds of winning the starting job: 8-1.

CONNOR WOOD

A redshirt freshman from Houston Second Baptist, it's hard not to love what Wood brings to the table. He's built like a quarterback (6-4, 210 pounds), he's got a rocket for an arm and he's mobile. During his senior year at Second Baptist, he threw for 2,669 yards and 19 touchdowns while also running for 668 yards and 13 scores. If Harsin and Applewhite want to go with the truest dual-threat and the biggest threat to run, Wood would be the choice here. I think having that redshirt year under his belt gives him an advantage over Ash, since he is accustomed to the speed of the college game. I think he is the true dark horse in this race. For now, I put him second in the running. Odds of winning the starting job: 6-1.

GARRETT GILBERT

Fun fact: did you know that Garrett Gilbert was a sophomore last year? I know it's shocking; considering what some Longhorns fans expected of him last year, you would have thought he was a sixth-year senior. OK, so Garrett Gilbert was disappointing in 2010; 10 touchdowns against 17 interceptions simply isn't going to cut it in Austin. But the alarming rate at which Longhorns fans are leaping off the Gilbert bandwagon is stunning. The Lake Travis product is, in my estimation, the most talented quarterback that the Horns have. He may not have shown it last year, but then again, which Longhorn really did put his best foot forward last season? I think this is one of those instances where I'm going to preach patience, which is a lot easier said than done. Ultimately, I think Gilbert's the man for the job. Odds of winning the starting job: 3-1.

(Oh, and just in case you thought this was anything more than needless speculation, Harsin has said that Texas won't make a decision until the fall.)